Armel Le Cléac’h has revenge to take with the Route du Rhum. Four years ago, he lost his boat there and was very happy to come out safe and sound. Fear and doubt dispelled, “Le Chacal” got back to work and intends to go and win the 2022 edition at the Ultim on his Maxi Banque Populaire XI. 24 hours before the big start in Saint-Malo, the former winner of the Vendée Globe says he is ready to challenge the Joyons, Covilles and Gabarts, but is wary of leaving the North Atlantic, at a time of year when the seas are particularly hostile. It deserved a little weather and strategy point. Small spoiler: foil enthusiasts will have to be patient.
How does this departure look in terms of weather?
Quite difficult for this Route du Rhum. For the start we will have 20-25 knots of wind with a bit of sea, so it will be sporty for the start with this passage around Cape Fréhel which is compulsory, given that we have a gate to cross. We will have to tack to get this first mark. We’re going to have 5-6 m of hollow as we approach Ouessant, at the start of the night, and it will be a very tricky passage for us.
Is it all the more difficult to manage these conditions from the start as there is this fleet layout which adds nervousness?
There is an external danger. In addition to the weather, there is this coast with all the rocks that we know well on the Brittany coast, and indeed the traffic. As far as competitors go, we Ultims should be out in front pretty quickly. But casually, we’re eight boats and we’re going to be pretty tight. You will have to be vigilant because there will be maneuvers to be carried out, and very concentrated so as not to do anything stupid during the first hours of the race.
What are the routes that seem to be emerging and the possible strategies in relation to the first weather forecasts, a few hours before the start?
As far as the Ultim fleet is concerned, we will above all be a little constrained by the state of the sea. We know that from a depth of 5-6 m, it becomes very difficult to go at good speeds, and above all we are starting to put the boat in danger. These are not the ideal conditions or the ones we are looking for for sailing. It will limit the options, knowing that this core of sea is very wide and extends almost to the north of Ireland.
It’s not going to be very easy to find the least painful passage, taking into account the strength of the wind. We’re going to put the quickest route in brackets a bit. This route could be very north today, but it is extremely risky or even completely irresponsible because you can encounter hollows of 7-8 m. It’s totally unthinkable to go sailing in such conditions and to reach decent speeds. »
In your opinion, there will still be reckless people to tempt the devil?
For the first 24 hours, I think a choice of reason will dominate all competitors. We will see what level of slider each competitor will put in his passage in the sea and the wind. Some people will surely be conservative, others will try a more daring but profitable route if it ever passes. There are winning paths if everything goes for the best, but are we ready from the start to take the risk of rushing headlong into them, knowing that there is a good chance that it will be painful for the boat and sailor? From experience, reason often ends up prevailing and the roads converge towards a passage where the conditions are not so bad. The race may really only start after 24 or 48 hours, when the difficulty has passed.
The interest is to find both the wind and the glide in an area where it is almost impossible to find flat seas to put your foils to use?
Absolutely. At the start of the race, it won’t be an easy or almost impossible flight. We may be able to maintain correct speeds, but very far from what we know how to do with our boats. I insist, we will have to preserve ourselves for the rest of the race. If we get out of this first trap with boats very close to their maximum potential, we can make up for any delay more easily, as opposed to a boat that takes more risks on a fast start and will be less efficient later on because that he will have suffered a little.
Are there other key areas in this Route du Rhum where you can exploit the maximum potential of your boat?
On slightly intermediate routes, we will say that the Azores crossing point would make it possible to find much more manageable sea conditions. We would find ourselves south enough to get out of this core of heavy seas which remains in place for several days because the depressions follow one another over the North Atlantic. From halfway through the race, or close to it, we can go into a period of using the boat to its maximum potential until the finish. In general, if the boat is still in good condition, the further you go towards the finish, the more the conditions will improve with downwind and slippery conditions.
On the other hand, arriving in Guadeloupe can also prove to be complex.
The finish is indeed a complex element of the Route du Rhum. The race can be played on this mandatory loop lap that must be done from the West. We have to pass under the lee of the island, because we have winds that blow from east to west in a fairly standard way. There is also the Soufrière volcano on our route, as we have to find a buoy close to the coast, and we inevitably find ourselves stuck in this very weak wind zone.
Depending on the time of day, you can find yourself stopped for several hours and see competitors come back on par to kick off a new start on the last miles of the race. It happened like that four years ago. We know that this year it can happen in the same way. But we have to hope that until then, everything goes well.